Falling out and Into place
by WhiteWitchArcherAlchemist
Summary: A rewrite of 'The Key, the Alchemist, and The armor' Crimson thought her days with the Elrics were long over. But fate loves to mess with us, in the sickest ways possible. "I never meant to forget you, you know." "But you still did, didn't you?" EdxOC
1. Prologue: Dream? Memory! AGH!

**The Key **Ver. 2

Prologue: The dream

It was cold. The black suit, it wasn't the right kind of clothing to wear in this kind of weather. He fidgeted, leaning his weight onto one foot while fussing with his sleeve. The setting sun's light shown down on him through the leaves of the tree branches above his head, making lace shadows dance across his face. He squinted one eye at the harsh glaring light, starting to raise his hand to block it from his eyes.

Silence. Such a thing had never been so loud. He'd never been around so many people with such a lack of sound coiling around him. It was deafening; his ears were ringing.

"We have gathered here today," The preacher began, his voice echoing and shattering the silence that enshrouded everyone. "to celebrate the life of our dear brother, Tomas Selan."

He stared at the dark-haired man, his holy clothes lightly bellowing in the wind as he read from the bible in his hands. It made him a tad uncomfortable; God and Holy things had never sat right in his stomach. But with a deep, calming breath, he reminded himself he wasn't here for himself.

He was here for her.

The little girl stood stone stiff and didn't let out a single tear, even as her mother bent over and sobbed to herself openly. She was still, and silent, simply staring out at the rolling hills as the green grass turned to gold in the sun.

"Earth, to earth," The preacher continued. "Ashes, to ashes, and dust to dust."

Her brother reached out, pressing his palm into the back of her head. She leaned toward him, listening as his lips moved. After a moment, she nodded and her brother dropped his hand.

He, himself, took another shuddering breath. As the preacher finished his sermon and closed the bible, she finally looked to take no more. The coroners stepped forward, lowering the darkwood casket into the ground. She broke out of her family's hold and pushed through the crowd. The people, all wearing differing shades of blacks, dark blues, and browns, parted for her then reformed again like a rock passing through a stream.

He opened his arms for her and she crashed into him, pressing her face deep into his chest. He held her tightly, stroking her dark hair as the tears stained his silk jacket.

Nobody said a word.

He felt her flinch as the men sank their shovels into the dirt. He tightened his hold on her, determined to shield and protect her from all the bad. All the pain.

She tilted her head up to him, the normally jade green orbs of her eyes pale and sickly-looking. "It hurts," The girl whispered.

He nodded. "I know. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

"I'll always protect you."


	2. Chapter 1: Dreaming up a Memory lost

**Ta-Daaaa!! Chapter one, as promised ^__^**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist  
**

**Chapter 1:** Dreaming up a memory lost

Lightning flashed suddenly through the room as the outside storm raged. Thunder clapped, loud as a giant's applause, starling the poor boy awake.

Edward Elric's gold eyes scanned the darkened room in a burst of panic, but relaxed slightly after recognizing his surroundings. Lightning once again cracked across the sky, and the window clambered open with such a racket that it nearly drowned out the thunder. A torrent of violent wind and rain attacked his body, washing away and replacing the sweat along his brow. The wind slicked his hair back, sticking to his head like seaweed to a rock.

Edward squinted his eyes and flailed his arms out, trying to get a hold of the trembling window panes against the wall beside his bed. With the rapid wind in his face and rain that felt like icy blades on his skin, closing them was a battle going downhill fast.

Then another hand reached out from behind him and with a team effort they managed to close the window.

Edward panted, then fell back into his soggy pillow with a groan. "Thanks, Al," He addressed his younger brother, Alphonse. "That was . . . fun," The boy was soaked to the bone and shivering, and his bed hadn't fared much better. Alphonse nodded, turning to get new sheets out of the closet in the opposite wall. "Why don't you get dried off while I change the sheets?"

Edward found himself tipping his head back and forth as a nod, rolling tiredly out of the cold wet bed. He stumbled across the hardwood floors in his bare feet and padded into the bathroom. Flicking on the light, he squinted at himself in the mirror.

Edward Elric was a small boy, skinny, with ash blond hair that framed his milky face. His hair was long, pulled back into a low pony-tail at the nape of his neck. He picked up a washrag off the sink and after wetting it with lukewarm water, wiped his face down.

Once he was done, the young boy continued to stare at himself in the mirror. What was that dream all about? Something in the back of his mind tingled, like there was just that _one thing_ he couldn't remember that would open a whole new door to this memory that was just _so_ obvious he'd slap himself once he understood.

Alphonse stuck his head inside the door. "Brother? The bed's fixed."

"Ah," Edward's eyes flicked to his brother's reflection. "Okay, I- . . . I'm coming."

Alphonse turned, leaving the bathroom and clomping back down the hall. The metal plating of his body scraped together, and Edward stood still listening to the sound fade.

The Elric brothers were a rather odd pair. While Edward looked generally like an average fifteen/sixteen- year old, his eyes normally caught people off-guard. The golden orbs sparkled with determination, and an intelligence that wasn't seen in many kids his age. Both brothers had endured a rough past, and in their teens they still carried the scars as a result.

Many years before they both lived in a little town to the east. To impress their mother, Trisha, the boys had learned the art of alchemy, a science of transforming matter. However, their mother soon grew ill, and passed away. In a desperate attempt to bring her back to life, the brothers broke an alchemical taboo. Both paid a horrible price for their failure.

Edward lost his left leg to the transmutation, while Alphonse had his whole body taken away. Terrified to lose any more of his family, Edward gave up his right arm to fix his brother's soul into a suit of armor. Childhood family friends, the Rockbelles, replaced Edward's limbs with a prosthetic made out of metal, called auto-mail that was fully mobile and maybe more so than his real limb.

Now they were on a journey to find the legendary Philosopher's Stone, and with it give Alphonse back his body and fix their mistake.

When Edward walked back into the bedroom, Alphonse was back at the desk with a book in his large leather hands. He looked up at his older brother, who fell onto the dry bed in exhaustion. The fatigue settled into pockets under his tired eyes.

"Ugh," Edward groaned, rubbing his eyes and forehead as thunder exploded outside the building. "Stupid storm. Now I'll never get back to that dream." He grumbled.

Alphonse tilted his head, or helmet, as the case may be, to the side. "Really? You looked a little restless, actually."

"Really?" Edward asked, a little distracted. "huh,"

Alphonse looked his brother over, watching as he re-situated himself on the bed. "What were you dreaming about, brother?" He asked.

Ed shrugged off-handily, like it didn't matter. But on the inside, the gears of his head were whirling in over-drive as he fought with himself to get on top of this dream. He hated it when he came short of anything, and this was no different. Edward thought of something, and rolled over to face his brother again. "Actually . . . did we ever go to a funeral before mom's?" He asked.

"You mean the one for Winry's parents?"

Ed shook his head. "No, before that."

Alphonse was silent, the expressionless face of his helmet making Edward a bit uneasy.

" . . . Al?" Ed called apprehensively.

Alphonse shook his head after a few minutes with a sigh. "No, I don't think so. I can't remember." Edward nodded. It had been too much to hope for anyway. Alphonse didn't have many memories left from their childhood because of his condition, and it was a long shot that he might remember the girl from his dream.

"Brother, it's late," Alphonse said, opening his book again. "You should get some more sleep. We have to catch that train in the morning."

That was one of the downsides to Al's body. He couldn't sleep, eat, or even feel warm or cold, or even pain. This fact haunted and loomed over Edward's shoulders every day of his life.

Ed nodded. He rested his head back on the pillow, and not knowing how late it really was, was out like a light in seconds.

"So-ooo . . ." Edward drawled out the word from beside his brother on the seat of a train. "When are we getting back to Central?"

Alphonse's finger trailed the schedule stapled to the wall. "You're not gonna be happy," He sighed. "We have to stop in Ellianor village before we can get to Central."

Edward, as Alphonse predicted, groaned loudly. "Aaaaand just when I thought I would see Indigo again," He complained, referring to his partner and girlfriend who'd been sent on another mission by herself, otherwise she'd been with them on their journey.

Ed sighed wistfully at the thought of her. Alphonse didn't respond, sitting down across from his brother on the seat to watch the country side roll by.

"Al?" Edward asked suddenly. "Have we ever been to Eleanor village?"

"Ellie-a-nor," Alphonse corrected. "I don't think so, but I've heard about it. The town is pretty small, not much more than Resembool, but closer together. It's in the middle of nowhere."

Edward nodded, making a noise of acknowledgement in the back of his throat. "But the name sounds familiar . . . Huh, probably just déjà vu."

Ed looked around himself at the other passengers in their car. Just an old couple, a young businessman sleeping in the corner, and a family of four two seats away.

Alphonse looked back out the window and sighed again.

"Another bust, huh?" Ed asked, wanting to fill the silence. "Don't worry, we'll get you back to normal soon."

"Yeah," Alphonse grunted absently. He toward the window and squinted into the distance.

Edward sagged back into the leather seat. Unexpectedly, his mind wandered back into the dream he'd had the night before. The funeral . . . the girl . . . was it a memory or just a dream?

Never before did a dream like this (or any dream at all, really) haunt him so much. Why did it matter?

Alphonse looked his brother over, watching as he stared off into space. "You're still thinking about her? The girl you dreamed?"

Edward nodded. "It's weird, like I should know this without thinking so much. A part of me is even feeling like hitting myself."

Alphonse shrugged.

About an hour later, the train pulled into Ellianor's station and the brothers got off. Edward whistled lowly as they strolled down the road to Main Street. "You weren't kidding, this place is pretty small."

Ellianor village was made up of about four or five streets. Three of which, were the main town part with shops and the town hall and churches. The other streets and back roads were houses and farms. Each house and building was a different size, shape, and color than the one before it, showing the individuality of the population.

Plus, not a single person spared a second glance toward the two alchemists. After becoming accustomed to stares and whispered rumors about their appearances, being treated like this was strange, but not unwelcome. Edward and Alphonse for once felt that they didn't have to whisper their conversations to each other. Nobody was listening.

"When's the next train, Al?" Edward asked, lacing his fingers together behind his head. Alphonse sweatdropped, murmuring something under his breath. Ed paused, looking back over his shoulder at his younger brother. "What?"

"T- . . . the day after tomorrow . . . "

" . . ."

" . . . Brother?" Hesitantly, Al poked his silent brother.

"What . . . WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN WE'RE STUCK HERE?!?"

"H-heeeyyy!! Outta the waaaayy!!"

Edward and Alphonse turned. A young girl was speeding down the sidewalk, her brown hair flowing behind as the wind rushed past her. A pair of blue goggles were perched over her eyes, and the dark blue jeans she wore were ripped at the knees and splattered with paint. The girl slammed her running brakes and skidded across the pavement. However, she couldn't stop fast enough. Edward cried out as they collided, falling to the pavement together in a heap of tangled limbs.

The girl groaned and pulled herself out of the tangle, rubbing her head. "Hah . . . sorry about that," She laughed. The girl blinked behind her goggles and held out her hand. Edward, in a daze, reached up.

The clock tower a few buildings away suddenly clanged and the girl stiffened. She grabbed Ed's wrist absently while counting the chimes.

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, _eight, _aw shit!"

She let out a shriek and released Edward's hand, letting him fall back to the ground with a grunt. "I'm late!!" She took two steps back and with a running stride jumped over Edward and kept running, yelling an apology back over her shoulder before she turned down a corner.

Alphonse stared after her with a sweatdrop. "Well, that was unusual. Oh, Brother!" He turned back to Edward, who was still lying in a groaning pile on the ground.

"Don't worry about me; I only landed on my spine . . ."

Alphonse held out his hand, but after the girl had dropped him unceremoniously to the sidewalk, Edward had decided that it would be smarter to pick himself up. "Talk about a passing tornado," He muttered, rubbing the side of his head.

"I wonder where she was going." Alphonse said. "And those goggles were weird."

"Ah, who cares?! The point is we're stuck here! Why aren't any of the trains going today?! Or tomorrow, dammit!?"

There was a stone silence, and Edward sagged.

"You boys must be newcomers."

Ed and Al turned. Behind them stood a young woman, looking to be around her early twenties with cropped short blond hair. Her shirt was sleeveless, and the auto-mail going from her hand to her elbow glinted in the sun. She sipped her coffee with an air of indifference. "To be blunt, you boys are obviously not from around here. However . . ." The woman's eyes scanned them both head to toe. "You'd both fit right in here in Ellianor."

Alphonse, since Edward was too occupied with glaring at the woman to respond, took that action upon himself. "Ah, how so?"

"Ellianor Village is made up of artists," The woman explained. "Everyone has a different way to express their art: clothing, food, furniture, architecture, ironworks, everything can be an art form. And because of that, everybody can express themselves in a different way. So different is normal around here."

The woman paused, then smiled kindly. "My name is Vanessa. I couldn't help but overhear your predicament. Sorry about that, but the trains have been stalled for the art show."

"Art show?" The boys parroted her.

Vanessa nodded. "Yep. It's every couple of months when everybody in town gets together and shows off their talents. Scouts come in from the cities and recommend the best artists they find." The woman grinned. "An artist has to be older than thirteen to enter. It's my apprentice's first show with her paintings, pastels, and sketches. She's a real prodigy."

Vanessa's smile could easily be described as motherly, but she shook it off quickly. "I suppose you'll be looking for an inn?"

"Ah," Alphonse cleared his non-existent throat. "Yes ma'am, but if you wouldn't mind, could we see your student's work?"

Vanessa blinked. "Well, I suppose . . . but we'd have to ask her though. Her works are very personal, but I doubt she'll say no . . . Oh!" Her silver eyes sparked as if she'd just realized something. She tossed her coffee over her shoulder without waiting to see if it landed in the cast iron garbage can– it did –and started to run. "She must be waiting for me at the shop!!"

Edward and Alphonse shared looks, and without knowing why, ran off after her.


	3. Chapter 2: Picture a memory Lost

**Hiya! How many of ya thought I was dead? xD Well, I back, and let me tell you, this chapter is nice and long. Think of it as a . . . peace offering for not updating in a while. ^^0**

**So, let's get started and please don't chase after me with pitchforks.

* * *

**

**Chapter 2: **Picture a memory Long forgotten.

Even with the sunlight glinting off her goggles, Edward could feel her glare before he was in front of her, or the dark shop Vanessa led the brothers to.

"Don't be late," The girl mocked. "I'll hang you by your ears!"

Vanessa grumbled as she stepped forward to unlock the shop door. "Yeah, yeah, I know what I said."

The girl crossed her arms as Vanessa opened the door into a small art studio. A bell chimed cheerfully above the door. Vanessa turned to the girl and gestured to Edward and Alphonse. "We've got a couple of visitors today, so get out your works!"

The girl blinked. She looked from Vanessa to Edward then back again. "Don't you think he's a bit _small_ to be an art critic?" She asked bluntly. Edward twitched, and Alphonse quickly grabbed a hold on his arms to hold him back.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING A RUNT SO SMALL THAT A CRUMB COULD BE HIS HOME COUNTRY?"

The girl stepped back, looking a little confused but not startled by his outburst. She turned to Vanessa, unfazed, and asked "Did you find this kid face down on the sidewalk?"

Vanessa nodded. The girl hmm-ed. Then a light bulb popped over her head and she gasped. "Oh!"

Edward was still fuming, but seemed to have calmed down enough not to strangle her. The girl scratched the back of her neck and pulled her goggles off. She turned to set them on a table that was cluttered with dirty brushes, messy cans that were decorated with dry paint from previous uses, and bottles of dirty water. "Sorry for running you over earlier."

The girl walked out of the room and into another, still talking like the brothers could actually hear her. There was the sound of things being moved around in the next room over. Vanessa turned to Edward and Alphonse with a fierce look in her eyes. "No staring." She hissed.

Edward opened his mouth to question, but the girl walked back in with a crate tucked into her arms. It was filled with canvases and small sketchbooks, oil paints and just regular paints, water colors and oil pastels, like Vanessa had said.

But that wasn't why Edward's mouth dropped open. Vanessa jabbed him in the ribs with her auto-mail elbow, and he swung his jaw shut.

The girl's eyes sparkled a light emerald color as she smiled a bit nervously. Her left eye was slightly swollen, and a long gash ran along and above her right eyebrow.

"They're not perfect," She said. "And most are still works in progress, so . . ."

Edward stepped forward when she started to lose her grip on the crate. He helped her place the box on a clear part of the table. The girl looked up at him through her lashes, green eyes slowly smoking over into a soft, pastel-green color before snapping back to emerald as she blinked.

"Sorry for running you over," She apologized again awkwardly, brushing her dark chocolate hair out of her round, heart-shaped pale face.

Ed blinked, then realized his hand was lingering on her's. The girl pulled back and scratched her neck. "Uh, well, anyway," She coughed. "Why d'you want to look at my work, anyway?"

Edward pointed over his shoulder at Alphonse, who was having a peaceful conversation with Vanessa on the other side of the studio. "I didn't, my brother did. Don't ask me why."

"Oh." She looked disappointed. "Well, are you going to stay for the art show?"

Edward scowled. "I guess we don't have much of a choice, since none of the trains are going until Monday."

"Unless you wanted to walk or something," The girl grinned toothily. "Well, you might as well participate."

Edward raised an eyebrow.

"Anybody can enter, it isn't a competition." She explained, taking out and rooting through her paintings and half-covered canvases. "Y'know, if you're old enough and all—"

"WHO YOU CALLIN' SMALL?" Edward snarled, raising his fist and spinning to the girl.

She stumbled back, trying to catch herself on an easel behind her. But she over balanced it and sent both the paints and herself to the hardwood paint-stained floor. Edward stopped, staring down at the girl on the floor in confusion.

Vanessa grabbed him by the hood of his coat and yanked him away. "Crims? Sweetheart are you okay?"

As quick as she'd fallen, the girl was back up on her feet. "Fine, fine, I'm fine," She waved off Vanessa's helping hand with a laugh.

Edward stood, back away from the two women with Alphonse's large hand on his shoulder. His gold eyes narrowed. That spark . . . the sudden flash of her emerald eyes going a pale, almost white green. It made him feel strange, almost scared, but not for himself. It gave him the unmistakable urge to grab this strange girl and fold her protectively into his arms. But he just blamed that feeling on his empty stomach, after all he hadn't eaten since the train.

"I'm such a klutz," She laughed, bending back down to clean the art supplies she'd knocked to the floor. But before she could even straighten up Vanessa snatched the bottles and brushes from her hands.

"I'll clean, you go show off,"

The girl blinked, but quickly shrugged, not fazed at all by the blond woman's behavior. She waved for the Elrics to follow her back toward the crate stacked with canvases that looked like they couldn't hold another drop of paint without collapsing.

"Uhm . . . my name is Alphonse, miss," The younger Elric said, noticing that she didn't know their names. He held out his hand politely. The girl tilted her head back to look Al in the face before a warm smile broke over her face. She took his hand in hers and shook it firmly.

"I'm Crimson," She greeted him pleasantly. "Nice to meetcha . . . " Alphonse noticed her eyes shift to a darker hue and her face fell a bit. He tilted his head to the side.

"Is something wrong?"

Crimson lifted her head and laughed, waving her hands and shaking her head. "Oh! No no, everything's fine, it's just that you have the same as somebody I knew from when I was younger, I'm sorry!"

"What kind of name is Crimson?" Edward remarked, furrowing his eyebrows while tilting his blond braided head to the side. "It's pretty unusual . . . "

Crimson's eyes flashed an icy neon, and for some reason Edward felt like kicking himself. But the girl blinked the color away and smiled again, but there was a steely side to it that made the blond want to move just an inch back. "Really? I think it's perfect for me, unusual name for an unusual girl. I'm an artist, I practically _live_ by the word weird! Oh, speaking of which," She turned away from Edward and started unpacking the crate. She carefully laid them each down on the table. Edward stepped forward to curiously peak over her shoulder, and Alphonse soon joined him. Edward turned to Crimson.

"My name's Ed, by the way," He said.

" . . . Of course it is," Crimson muttered bitterly after a small pause.

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing," Crimson waved off-handily. "I originally packed these up yesterday for the show; I wasn't expecting visitors . . . " Edward and Alphonse were stunned by her detailed paintings.

There were images of snowy fields, with trees dangling icicles from their branches, forests with tall trees, glassy ponds with children playing on the shore, rivers and harbors with large boats, cities with people painted to look like they could continue their business at any second. Edward stared slack-jawed, both brothers marveling over her skill. She took a painting of the front of the studio out of the crate, then after she set it down paused, staring at the bottom of the crate for a few seconds. She looked back up at the Elrics, looking over her paintings with awe in their eyes. She glanced at Edward, then back at the crate. She took a deep breath and pulled it out, holding it close to her chest while nervously biting her bottom lip. Edward noticed her and raised an eyebrow.

"This . . . this one I've been working on longer than the others . . . it . . . it took me almost three years to do and I finally finished it about four days ago . . . not even Vanessa's seen it yet and . . . and I wanted to use it for my debut as an artist tomorrow . . . " She continued to ramble for a few more minutes before Edward got impatient. He put his hands on his hips.

"Well? Are you going to show us or not?" He asked rudely. Vanessa, who had wandered over after cleaning up, elbowed him hard once again with her auto-mail. He squeaked before turning to glare at the older woman who met his gaze firmly. He turned to Al but also felt a glare being sent from that direction as well. Crimson flushed a little bit, living up to her name before she took a breath and turned the painting around.

The sky rolled with a light, calming blue color. Fat white clouds were situated what seemed to be randomly around the right side of the sky, collecting closer to the corner with a darker gray than the rest of the others, fading to a darker color as it got to the point of the corner.

The field underneath looked like the hills were frozen green waves, and in the shadow of a tall tree there was a gathering of people. All were dressed in dark colors, browns, blacks, and blues. They collected under the dark clouds, all had their heads bowed and their eyes closed, none of them noticing a couple of children escaping the congregation. They ran in the opposite direction from the people. The boy had golden blond hair, his face turned back to look at their girl as he pulled her long. She had brown hair that flew out behind her, and a long black dress flowed as she ran. Edward leaned a bit closer, feeling drawn in by the boy's face. . . . Wait . . . what color were his eyes?

Edward squinted, his nose almost brushing the soft green strokes of grass. Momentarily distracted, Ed looked at the green carpet of the fields. Had she really painted each and every blade _individually?_ That must have been why it took her so long to finish . . .

Something about this painting . . . it . . . reminded him of his dream from the night before.

Edward suddenly felt Vanessa grab the back of his coat once again and yank him backwards. "Come on now, I'm sure Crims isn't going to appreciate using that as a tissue," She remarked with a playful scowl. Edward glared back at her, but he felt himself starting to like the older blond woman.

Crimson flushed lightly and set the painting down on the table with the others. She coughed and straightened up. "So . . . what are you guys doing in Ellianor anyway, if you aren't here for the art show?"

"We were just passing through, actually," Alphonse said, looking through the paintings again. "We were on our way to Central before we found out the trains had been stopped."

Crimson and Vanessa shared a look before bursting into laughter. "I can't tell you how many times we've heard _that_ story before," Crimson said, trying to stifle her giggles while Edward continued to glare at them. She looked over at him and knudged him in the arm. "Hey come on, can't you do anything besides glare?"

Edward gave her a dirty look as a response, and Crimson laughed again.

Vanessa suddenly appeared and grabbed Crimson around the neck, giving the girl an affectionate noogie on the top of her head. "Told you she was a prodigy!" She boasted and making Crimson blush once again.

"I have to admit, you are really good," Edward agreed honestly, feeling his eyes getting drawn back toward the painting of the two children in the field.

_"Want to get out of here?"_

_"Yes please."_

_"Come on, then,"_

Edward shook his head. That had to have been his imagination, right? This town was doing weird things to him.

" . . . stay for it?"

"Mm-hm. Sure, why not?" Edward mumbled, distracted. Then the older Elric blinked, turning to Alphonse who if he could was radiating happiness. "Wait . . . what?"

"We'd love to stay for the art show, Crimson!"

"Huh?" Crimson and Alphonse turned back to him. "What do you mean we're staying?" He demanded. "Al, we have to go back to Central! Indigo is going to be there soon and you know how she get's when we leave her with the Colonel for too long!"

Crimson leaned toward Alphonse. "Who?"

"Brother's girlfriend," He whispered back. Crimson's mouth formed a small 'o' of understanding and she nodded. Edward scowled. "But please brother? You already agreed to it!" Alphonse almost whined.

"Yeah!" Crimson agreed, and the two of them quickly got back down on their knees. They clasped their hands together and held them under their chins, before begging in a rather comical fashion.

"Please please please please please please please please please please please please _?_"

Edward sweatdropped at the two of them. In a sick amusing sort of way . . . he found it a bit funny. But he made the fatal mistake of looking down at Crimson . . . and sealing his fate.

Her lower lip was lightly puckered out, trembling slightly. Her green eyes were wide and staring up at him through her lashes. With the wounds on her face, it made her look all the more pitiful. Taking in the bruise and the long gash above her eye- he started to get a sort of sick feeling in his stomach. "Please?" She whimpered one last time, and his resolve crumbled.

He groaned. "Fine . . . we'll stay."

Crimson and Alphonse cheered, jumping up and down together like children. Edward rolled his eyes before he started rubbing his forehead, glad for the cool temperature of his auto-mail hand. Vanessa growled.

"Would the two of you please stop jumping around like hillbillies?" She demanded. Crimson and Alphonse froze, turning to stare at the woman with fear in their eyes. But they obeyed her and settled down enough to keep their feet on the floor. Ed shook his head, but couldn't help be amused by their childish antics.

"Okay, okay," He chuckled. "Since we're going to stay, Al, we'd better go find an inn or something."

Vanessa turned to Crimson. "Why don't you let them stay with you? You seem to get along well with 'em."

The happy mood in the room instantly plummeted. Crimson, who had started to pack up her paintings again, seemed to freeze in time. Her naturally pale face turned sheet white, and her wide eyes turned that sickly-green color that made a shiver once again run down Edward's spine. Vanessa noticed her reaction and swung her mouth shut, seeming to realize her mistake.

Crimson swallowed thickly. "It's . . . okay . . . " She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I'll . . . show you guys to an inn a friend of mine owns. He'll let you stay . . . for cheap."

Edward's eyes narrowed, a strange protective edge starting to creep into his voice. "Is there something you aren't telling us-**_OW!_**_" _A sharp pain splintered into the back of Edward's head, and with a cry he grabbed the spot, before he spun and glared viciously at Vanessa who was holding her auto-mail out in the last phase of a perfect whacking position.

"Look, she offered you boys a place to stay. And if there's anything I know about the people who come to Ellianor (wither they get here by choice or not) is that we've all got skeletons in our closets. Would you spill your darkest secrets to a person you'd only just met?" She demanded with a dangerous scowl on her face.

Edward and Alphonse shared knowing looks, thinking of the same thing at the same time. "No ma'am," They chorused. This woman was way too intimidating, Edward thought darkly.

"That's what I thought," Vanessa nodded at them firmly. Crimson laughed uneasily.

"It's . . . it's alright, Ness, they didn't mean anything by it. I'm sure they were just curious, especally with how I reacted 'n all," She turned and smiled at Edward with a kind apologetic grin. He stared back at her, not quite sure what to make of this strange girl.

* * *

"Crimson, you know you don't have to do this for us . . . right?" Edward said with a faint frown. The girl beside him rolled her eyes and laughed.

They were walking out of one of the inns of Ellianor, and when Crimson said that she could get them a room for cheap, she wasn't exaggerating. Turns out that in the small town, basically everybody knew everybody and a simple favor such as a room for a few days wasn't took much to ask for. "It's alright, Ed. I don't mind, and to be honest with you I haven't had much time to spend with kids my own age."

Alphonse looked down at her. "Why's that?"

Crimson didn't answer, just waved at a middle aged man across the street. "Oh, over there is Mama Iz's Cafe'. Are you guys hungry?" She pointed ahead at a small building, the front made up of mostly windows. The walls were painted a soft, welcoming yellow, and people could be seen sitting inside and around metal patio tables, leaning back in floral cushions to make the chairs more comfortable. The inside, with tables accompanied by plush chairs. It looked more like an elderly woman's home than a restaurant.

Edward frowned at her subject change. There was something off about her . . . he wasn't sure what. Or why he even bothered to care.

Alphonse, however, didn't notice as she directed his attention elsewhere. "Well . . . I don't know, are you hungry, Brother?"

Edward stared at the back of Crimson's head for a bit longer. Alphonse elbowed him in the side. He jolted and glared at his brother. What was it with people and jabbing the poor blond with their elbows? Crimson chuckled at them. "What?" He frowned.

"I asked if you were hungry," She repeated herself and as if on cue, Edward's stomach let out a loud growl. Crimson took Edward by the hand and dragged him off toward the little cafe'. Alphonse cried out.

"H-hey! Wait for me!"

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**See? I told you that it was gonna be long. Over three thousand words. **

**Please Review. Even If it's just to say you liked it or the infamous 'nice'. **

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